Some facts first:
- After winning the Battle of Hastings in 1066, it was William the Conqueror's first bishop William of Calais that founded Durham Cathedral in 1093. The Norman architecture is a bit Gothic and Romanesque apparently and influenced a lot of the cathedrals in northern France.
- In terms of "saints" - the Cathedral has a decent pedigree. It contains the remains of St Cuthbert, the head of St Oswald and the remains of Venerable Bede.
- In 1538 Henry VIII decided to destroy St Cuthbert's tomb and take all of the treasures. only the ancient paving around the tomb remains intact which is worn by the knees of pilgrims.
The Cloisters |
No high speed lift to the top |
They could do with some new modern signage mind |
Old school structural timber |
Don't look down |
Bottom left Hatfield College, right Student Union and Kingsgate Bridge, top right Durham Prison |
Looking down to the weir |
Looking up from the same weir |
Quasimodo would love it up here |
The Norman castle across the lawn |
The best way to visit is by bike - a tired little Hamil on the way home |
Some great photos you have there! Especially for a bit of a history geek like myself.
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